Tobacco feed for cigarette machines



0a. 10, 1939. J. w. LEARY 2,175,404

.TOBACCO FEED FOB CIGARETTE MACHINES Filed May 1, 1956 INVENTOR fa/malkaay' BY ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 10, 1939 TOBACCO FEED FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES James W. Leary, Bloomfield, N. J., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 1, 1936, Serial No. 77,302

14 Claims. (01, 13139) This invention relates to cigarette machines,

more particularly to a machine for feeding cigarette tobacco into a discharge chute, and to an improved trough in which the tobacco is discharged from said chute, brought into contact with a traveling web, and moved into a cigarette forming machine. In cigarette machines it is always desirable to prevent the formation of tobacco lumps which might be carried into the machine and result in the formation of uneven or imperfect cigarettes. While many devices have been provided for this purpose I have found that tobacco may be fed from an endless conveyor freely and loosely onto a pin roller rotating in a direction opposite to the path of movement of the belt. This pin roller acts as a means for further carrying tobacco fed from the conveyor to a picker roller which is rotating at a high rate of speed relative to the pin roller and in a direction opposite to that of said pin roller, and which strips tobacco from the pin roller and shreds or tears it into smaller particles. This effectively separates the tobacco and removes therefrom any lumps. Whereas in some machines slowly moving conveyors may allow lumps and mats of tobacco to form, by means of the relatively rapidly moving conveyor of this invention the tobacco is fed thereon in thin layers and very seldom if ever are mats or lumps formed.

When a paper web is fed through the trough it has been found that it is often torn or broken in its movement due to the presence of shorts or other foreign materials which creep around the edges of the traveling web and act as obstructions to its movement. Also, where the inner walls of the channel adjacent the moving web are vertical throughout their length, the rapid feed of tobacco and its frictional contact with the walls causes a building up or arching of tobacco over the web with the result that there is a lessening of the traction between the web and tobacco, and overlight or otherwise imperfect cigarettes are formed.

According to this invention, means are provided which reduce the danger of tearing the web to a minimum. These comprise recesses formed in the bottom support over which the web runs and the side walls of the trough. The recesses are formed facing each other, that is, those formed in the walls face those in the support, though they are spaced laterally from one another. By means of the recesses which substantially interlock and press against the web and crimp its edges, a seal is formed which will prevent shorts and other foreign particles from working around the edges of the web. If, however, any "shorts or particles should work around the edges of the web and under it, means are provided in the form of openings and slots which allow them to drop .by gravity from the machine. before they can do any harm.

In order to eliminate the possibility of building up or arching of tobacco, the inner faces of the side walls of the trough adjacent the tobacco are given a flare or taper which begins at a point near the bottom of each inner side Wall face at the entry end (the right end of Fig. 2) and continues until at the discharge end the entire inner face of each wall is flared or tapered downwardly and outwardly. The upper flare or taper line follows in approximate height the level of tobacco fed onto the web until near the discharge end of the channel. By means of this device no arching or building up of tobacco is possible, inasmuch as the shape of the trough or channel contributes to a continual downward movement of the tobacco as the web moves along.

It is an object of this invention to provide simplified mechanism for feeding tobacco to a delivery chute, and to provide means for preventing tearing or damaging of the traveling web as it is moved through the trough.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a set of picker rollers for receiving cigarette tobacco from a feed conveyor in which one of the rollers moves in a direction opposite to the path of movement of the conveyor, and at substantially the same speed; and in which the other roller moves at a high rate of speed relative to the first roller, and opposite thereto for stripping tobacco from the first roller, and discharging it into the discharge chute.

It is a further object to provide a feed trough of such a nature that the tobacco fed therethrough will not arch by frictional contact with its walls as the web and tobacco are associated.

It is a further object to provide the machine with a feed trough in which the inner faces of walls face those in the bottom support and are offset laterally thereto so as to form a substantial seal whereby the edges of the web fed through the trough is crimped by the interlocking of the recesses.

It is a further object to provide means for allowing shorts and other matter which may work into the recesses in the bottom support to drop by gravity through openings formed in said recesses or through slots in the support.

It is an additional object to provide slots and recesses in the bottom support of a feed trough which allows shorts and other undesirable matem'als to be removed before they can damage the paper web.

With this and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described, and then specif1- cally set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate like or same parts:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of an automatic tobacco feed for cigarette machines, showing the improved means for feeding the tobacco on to the continuously running paper web;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the guide trough, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the same, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is also a sectional end elevation of the guide trough, taken on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional end elevation in enlarged scale illustrating the advantages of the improved trough;

Fig. 6 is a sectional end elevation of the guide trough, taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional end elevation in enlarged scale illustrating a modified form of guide trough.

In an automatic tobacco feed the tobacco T is placed in a feed chamber formed by a housing ii], a bottom belt II, a feed drum l2 and a refuser drum l3 (Fig. 1). The tobacco is picked up by means of the carded surface of the feed drum l2 revolving in the direction indicated by an arrow in Fig. 1. The refuser drum I3, properly spaced from the feed drum l2 and also revolving in the direction indicated by an arrow, controls the amount of tobacco carried by the carded surface of the feed drum [2. Said tobacco is then removed from the latter by means of a rotating picker fan M, and thrown in the form of a light stream onto a continuously running traveling surface, which in the present embodiment is a feed belt l5, supported by means of rollers 56 and IT. The light layer of tobacco on the feed belt I5 is conveyed by the latter and allowed to drop loosely and freely onto a pin roller It moving at substantially the same peripheral speed as belt I5, but rotating in the opposite direction. The tobacco is then stripped from, broken up and taken off said pin roller by a rapidly rotating picker roller l9 moving opposite to roller Hi. This roller 19 which may rotate as much or more than sixteen times as fast as roller [8, throws the tobacco into a feed chute 2E] placed above a guide trough or channel 2| over the bottom support 22 of which passes a continuously running web which may be the paper web P. The inside faces of the parallel channel sides or walls are perp endicular at the front end of the trough, as shown in Fig. 4 and gradually flare or taper down and outwardly towards its rear end in the running direction of the web P, thereby gradually reducing friction caused by the tobacco layer L positioned on the running web P against the inner faces of the side walls of the channel (Fig. 5) and effectively prevent the arching or building up of tobacco over the traveling web which often occurs in channels having perpendicular walls. The flare or taper begins at a point near the bottom of the inner face of each side wall at the entry end of the channel (the right as shown in Fig. 2) and progresses gradually (Fig. 6) until at the discharge end the entire inner face of each wall is flared or tapered downward and outwardly as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Thus, it will be seen the cross section of the channel increases gradw ally in area along the channel from right to left as shown in Fig. 2.

The bottom support 22 is provided with longitudinal recesses 25 co-acting with longitudinal recesses 26 in the bottom portion of the side walls with the inner edges of the side walls 2| adjacent recesses 28 positioned substantially over the center line of the lower recesses, and having their lower faces located substantially in the plane of the top or a slight distance below the plane of the top of the support 22. This arrangement acts to crimp the edges of the web and form a perfect seal as the web carrying a layer of tobacco travels through guide trough or channel 2! (Fig. 5), and also allow any particles of tobacco that might happen to work into the recesses to gradually work towards openings 30 formed in member 22 and drop by gravity out of the channel. By this device the possibility of damage to the wrapper web is substantially eliminated. In the form shown in Fig. '7 the channel bottom support is constructed of three parallel spaced members 32, 33 and 34 of which the center member may be tapered along two of its faces as at 35, so as to furnish a larger escape chamber for shorts and other undesirable material which may find their way into the recesses, and under the web.

The front side wall of the channel is provided with lugs pivoted to lugs 28 of the bottom support 22 so that it may be swung to and from the support for cleaning purposes. In order to prevent any particles of tobacco from adhering to feed belt i5, the latter is cleaned by means of a rotating hexagon shaped rod 29 (Fig. 1) after said feed belt has delivered its layer of tobacco on to the pin roller l8.

It is to be noted that the term web is used in its generic sense, and is intended to include a paper web which is to be wrapped about the tobacco to form cigarettes, or a traveling endless tobacco loaded belt moving through the guide trough or an endless belt for feeding a paper web through the trough and into the rod forming mechanism.

The structure described above constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention but changes and variations may be made in the construction covered by the invention within the scope of the claims. The invention is, therefore, not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

l. A trough for a cigarette machine tobacco feed comprising an elongated bottom member over which a traveling web covered with tobacco moves, provided with longitudinal spaced grooves, and a pair of spaced walls located upon and along the edges of said member, each of said walls having a longitudinal groove overlying and interlocking with said grooves in said bottom member, but with the center lines thereof offset from each other laterally, and adapted to crimp the edges of said web as it is moved beneath said walls and over said support and form a seal to prevent lateral creeping of the tobacco on said web.

-2. A trough for a cigarette machine tobacco feed for guiding a traveling web with tobacco distributed thereon, comprising a bottom member having a plurality of grooves on its top face and openings connecting said grooves with the bottom face, and apair of spaced walls having longitudinal grooves facing said member, the grooves on said member being offset laterally from those on said walls.

3. A trough for a cigarette machine tobacco feed for guiding a traveling web with tobacco distributed thereon, comprising a bottom member having a plurality of grooves on its top face and openings connecting said grooves with the bottom face, and apair of spaced walls provided with a progressive flare increasing towards the exit end of said trough on their inner faces, and having longitudinal grooves facing said member, the grooves on said member being offset laterally from those on said walls.

4. A trough for a cigarette machine, comprising a bottom member over which a tobacco covered traveling web may be moved, and a pair of spaced side walls, the inner faces of which are provided with a downward flare increasing progressively along the length of said trough so that the cross sectional area thereof gradually increases from a minimum at the entry end to a maximum at the discharge end, located upon said member for retaining tobacco upon said web.

5. A trough for a cigarette machine comprising a bottom member over which a traveling web covered with tobacco may be moved, and a pair of spaced side walls upon said members, said walls being provided with a progressive taper beginning at a point adjacent the bottom of the inner face of each wall at the entry end of said trough, and progressing to a maximum at the outlet end thereof where the inner face of each wall is downwardly and outwardly tapered, said progressive taper acting to continuously direct tobacco upon said web and prevent arching or building up of tobacco over said web during its movement through said trough.

6. A trough for a cigarette machine, comprising a recessed table over which a traveling web is moved and side walls having recesses located above but offset from said recesses in said table, the inner edges of the recesses of said walls interfitting with the recesses in said table to crimp the edges of said traveling web, and thereby form a seal against lateral movement of tobacco positioned upon said web.

7. In a trough for a cigarette machine, a grooved support having waste openings connected to said grooves, and side walls defining a space in which a web is moved, said walls having grooves interfitting with said grooves in said support to provide a seal against lateral movement of tobacco distributed upon said web.

8. In a cigarette machine provided with mechanism for feeding tobacco from a supply thereof, a guide channel into which said feeding mechanism discharges, comprising a recessed bottom member, a pair of spaced side walls provided with recesses facing said bottom member, and means for mounting said walls above said bottom member whereby a traveling web may be fed between said walls and over said bottom member, said recesses in said walls forming a seal for the edges of said traveling web and the recesses in said bottom member underlying the wall recesses to catch particles which may work past the edges of the web.

9. In a cigarette machine provided with mechanism for feeding tobacco from a supply thereof, and a channel comprising a recessed bottom member over which is disposed a traveling web adapted to receive and convey said tobacco, said channel having a pair of spaced walls, the inner face of each wall being provided with a taper, whereby said walls are wider apart adjacent to said bottom member than at the overhead inlet slot of said channel, and diverge relatively to each other from the entry end of the channel to a maximum at its outlet end, thus preventing arching or building up of tobacco over said web as it travels.

10. In a cigarette machine provided with mechanism for feeding tobacco from a supply thereof, a channel comprising an elongated bottom support with a traveling web disposed thereon and adapted to receive tobacco from said feeding mechanism, said bottom support having spaced parallel, elongated recesses, a stationary wall having a longitudinal recess facing a similar recess in said support and offset laterally therefrom, in part at least, and a pivoted wall having a longitudinal recess facing a similar recess in said support and offset therefrom in part at least, being adapted to be swung into and out of operative position with respect to said support, whereby said channel may be cleaned at will, the edges of said recesses being interlocked to act as seals against lateral displacement of tobacco distributed upon said web.

11. In a cigarette machine provided with mechanism for showering tobacco from a supply thereof, a channel comprising an elongated bottom support with a traveling web disposed thereon and adapted to receive said showered tobacco, said bottom support having longitudinal recesses, spaced side walls having parts with longitudinal recesses disposed above and facing the recesses in said support, said side walls defining a web slot and said recesses in said side walls being offset from the complemental recesses in said support, forming therewith a seal for the margins of said traveling web to prevent lateral displacement of tobacco carried thereon.

12. In a cigarette machine provided with mechanism for feeding tobacco from a supply thereof, a channel comprising an elongated bottom support with a traveling web disposed thereon and adapted to receive said tobacco, said bottom support having longitudinal recesses, and spaced side walls at least one of which is tapered along its inner face, disposed along said support with parts thereof above said support to form therewith web feeding slots, said walls having longitudinal recesses facing said recesses in the bottom support with the inner edges of said recesses in the wall members coinciding substantially with the median line of the recesses in said support, thereby forming a seal against lateral displacement of tobacco and dust, and crimping the marginal edges of said traveling web.

13. In a cigarette machine provided with mechanism for feeding tobacco from a supply thereof, a. channel comprising a bottom support having a traveling endless web disposed thereon and adapted to receive said tobacco, said support having longitudinal recesses, spaced side walls having parts thereof disposed above said support to define slots for said web, and said walls having longitudinal recesses facing, and offset laterally from, said similar recesses in said support, whereby said complemental recesses are adapted to crimp the marginal edges of said web, thus forming a seal to prevent lateral displacement of tobacco carried thereon.

14. A trough or channel arranged to admit a shower of tobacco from a superimposed cigarette machine feed chute, comprising a support, a traveling web carrying tobacco distributed thereon moving over said support, and a pair of spaced members forming the side walls of the trough and having their inner faces disposed to provide a tapered space of increasing breadth downwardly therebetween, said inner faces being spaced from each other sufificiently along their upper edges to admit the entire shower of tobacco from the said chute.

JAMES W. LEARY. 

